Who will buy Chelsea? Billionaires, owners, celebrities bidding to be Blues' new owner

Kyle Bonn

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Sean Markus Clifford

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George Priestman

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Who will buy Chelsea? Billionaires, owners, celebrities bidding to be Blues' new owner image

The football world has been rocked by the news that Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has put the club up for sale. With the well-documented Russian invasion of Ukraine dominating world headlines, he has been forced to relinquish control of the Blues amid growing scrutiny over his close links to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Undoubtedly one of the most significant events in recent Chelsea history, the Russian will leave behind a legacy of trophy-laden glory as the London giants have become the most successful club in England since his takeover back in 2003.

Latest news reveals that Chelsea are desperate to secure a new owner amid a budget crisis, with their financial availability dictated by the British government following the sanctions imposed on former owner Abramovich. The billionaire has seen his assets frozen, and the club — considered an asset under Abramovich control — is currently operating under a special license where in which they can't buy new players, agree new contracts, or sell new tickets for games or even sell club merchandise.

The sale of the club can only go ahead with the governments intervention which sees the Russian receive no proceeds from the sale. The deadline for bidders to submit rival offers for Chelsea was March 18th, and now that the deadline has passed a decision will need to be made. Speculation has been rife in the media regarding who could potentially succeed the 55-year-old at Stamford Bridge, with his valuation of the club mooted to be over $4 billion.

While a number of bids were submitted, The Athletic reports that three bids have been shortlisted for selection: Todd Boehly, David Blitzer and Josh Harris, and Stephen Pagliuca. The Ricketts family was also included on the list, but has since pulled its bid from consideration.

Sporting News takes a look at the candidates who have been publicly linked so far with a potential takeover.

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Todd Boehly and Hansjörg Wyss

Already experienced in the field of owning sporting franchises, American mogul Todd Boehly owns the famous basketball side LA Lakers alongside Major League Baseball outfit LA Dodgers. He also heads up private investment company Elderidge Industries, which plows its finances into several areas of interest, including asset management, media, sports, finance, real estate, insurance, and the consumer field.

He is estimated to be worth around $6.6 billion and had a $2.9 billion (£2.21 billion) bid to buy Chelsea turned down back in 2019.

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Swiss billionaire Hansjörg Wyss has joined forces with Boehly to cement their interest in buying out Abramovich, with the 86-year-old having a long history in politics and philanthropy; specifically environmental and scientific causes in the US.

Wyss has claimed that he has been approached to buy Chelsea as part of a consortium, which will contain "six to seven" other investors. In an exclusive interview with Swiss magazine BLICK, he claimed: "I and three other people received an offer on Tuesday to buy Chelsea from Abramovich."

According to reports on March 8, the consortium led by the pair has submitted an official bid for the club. The amount is not known.

It is hard to tell whether the duo will indeed be the new owners of the West London club, but they certainly look to be amongst the frontrunners at this particular time.

According to a report by The Telegraph on March 19, Bohly and the group submitted a late, improved bid just before the March 18 deadline to increase the group's chances of a successful purchase.

Stephen Pagliuca

The current co-owner of the Boston Celtics, Stephen Pagliuca was a surprise inclusion among the final four candidates as The Athletic has reported.

Pagliuca also owns a 55 percent stake in Serie A side Atalanta which has grown rapidly with its performances on the field both domestically and internationally over the past few years.

A graduate of Duke University undergraduate program and Harvard Business School, the 67-year-old is the co-chairman of Bain Capital, a private investment firm founded in 1984 and located in Boston. His ownership of the Celtics is his most high-profile position, but he also serves on the NBA Board of Governers. In 2009, Pagliuca ran a campaign for a seat on the U.S. Senate, but was defeated in the Democratic primary.

Little is known about Pagliuca's bid, as he was not thought to be a serious candidate until the report of his inclusion among the final four bids.

Sir Martin Broughton, Josh Harris, & David Blitzer

A group led by Martin Broughton, chairman of British Airways parent company International Airways Group, has submitted a late bid to buy Chelsea, the British businessman confirmed.

Most notably, Broughton was chairman of Liverpool Football Club for a brief time in 2010, helping to facilitate the eventual sale to New England Sports Ventures. Broughton is a lifelong Chelsea fan, which was known publicly at the time of his appointment as chairman of Liverpool.

The value of Broughton's bid has not been reported.

While the presence of Josh Harris and David Blitzer in the consortium group has not been confirmed, it was widely reported. Their company Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment owns stakes in a number of teams across the globe, most notably the Philadelphia 76ers in the NBA and the New Jersey Devils in the NHL.

They also own an 18 percent stake in Premier League club Crystal Palace, and any conflict of interest regarding that ownership stake would need to be resolved as part of the Chelsea acquisition, likely in the shape of a full release.

Ken Griffin and the Ricketts family

American hedge fund billionaire Ken Griffin had joined forces with the Ricketts family who is owners of baseball side Chicago Cubs, to form an investment group that is said to be putting together a money-spinning bid to acquire Chelsea.

However, after being shortlisted among the final four bids, the consortium announced it was withdrawing its bid from consideration on April 15.

Due to their wealth and experience in sport, the group was thought to represent stiff competition to rival bidders ahead of Friday's deadline to submit offers to buy the club.

According to reports, the leaders of the bid flew to London on Tuesday to make a presentation to Chelsea hierarchy, and after the conclusion of the presentation flew back to the U.S. to attend the Major League Baseball season opener.

Saudi Media Group

The latest official bid to have come in for Chelsea Football Club has come from the Saudi Media Group, who have made a $3.5 billion (£2.7 billion) offer to buy the club on the 13th March.

Spearheading the bid is Chelsea fan Mohamed Alkhereiji, who is leading the private consortium. The group is the biggest media group in the middle east, and look to now be among the frontrunners.

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What is significant for the club is the group theoretically has no direct government links, but the bid is likely to be supported by a consortium of other private backers from Saudi Arabia, with no involvement from the state. Still, there are questions about the group's six degrees of separation from the Saudi government.

Alkhereiji, 50, has an executive master’s degree of business administration from the London-based Business School and was behind the new, state-of-the-art stadium in Mrsool Park for Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr in 2015.

It is reported that; redeveloping Stamford Bridge and the club’s academy at Cobham Training Centre, as well as the women's team, was said to be at the heart of their proposal for the club.

Nick Candy

British businessman Nick Candy is also highly linked to be involved in submitting a bid for the club. Candy was present at the Chelsea match this weekend, and is a lifelong Chelsea fan.

He's even offered the club a 'lifeline loan' to help operate from now until the club finds new ownership, and is considered amongst the frontrunners to buy the club.

It is understood that Brit is looking to lodge a bid around the $2.63 billion (£2 billion) mark, and wants to have fan representation on the board should be successful.

He's also interested in the development of Stamford Bridge too, as another key part of his proposal.

According to The Athletic, this bid is no longer in the running for Chelsea ownership.

Centricus, Jonathan Lourie, Bob Finch

After the March 18 deadline to submit bids passed, London-based investment firm Centricus Asset Management revealed it has submitted a bid to purchase Chelsea, with the announcement tabbing the bid at $3.9 billion.

The Centricus bid is being led by co-founder Nizar Al-Bassam as well as CEO Garth Ritchie. Also part of the group are British hedge fund manager Jonathan Lourie and British businessman Bob Finch.

“If our offer is successful, Centricus would be focused on ensuring that the CFC Group continues to achieve sporting excellence, high level of community support, transparent governance, financial sustainability, fan engagement and exemplary custodianship,” the firm said in a statement.

The group is touting itself as an all-British consortium that could keep Chelsea ownership within the country.

Aethel Partners

According to reports by The Times and Sky Sports, investment firm Aethel Partners has submitted a competitive bid for Chelsea. The firm is reportedly willing to inject a significant sum of cash directly into the club upon purchase to help offset any financial difficulties built up over the course of the sanctions.

The Times also reports that the firm has plans to redevelop Stamford Bridge in the near future.

Aethel Partners is a global private equity company headquartered in London. It was founded in 2014 by Portuguese entrepreneur Ricardo Santos Silva and American entrepreneur Aba Schubert. Silva currently serves as executive chairman.

Loutfy Mansour

33-year-old Egyptian businessman Loutfy Mansour is also understood to be keen on acquiring the club, believing that he can assemble a bid according to various sources. Presently, he is in charge of investment company Man Capital based in London, which is an extension to multinational conglomerate family business the Mansour Group.

He also happens to be a massive Chelsea fan, with a season ticket at Stamford Bridge and regularly attending matches.

Though much is unknown about Mansour and his potential to take the reins at Chelsea, his existing affiliation with the club may endear him to supporters as he seeks to succeed Abramovich in the Blues' hot seat.

Robert "Woody" Johnson

New York Jets owner Robert "Woody" Johnson has recently been credited with an interest in buying Chelsea, which could see him become the latest NFL-based businessman to get involved with a Premier League club.

The 74-year-old is a former ambassador of the United States to the United Kingdom, serving between 2017-2021. He is said to have grown an appreciation for the club during his time in England, whilst having an extensive understanding of how intrinsically important soccer culture is in the country.

He has been involved with the New York Jets since 2000, whilst could join the likes of Los Angeles Rams and Arsenal owner Stan Kroenke, as well as the Glazer family who have owned the Tampa Bay Buccaneers since 1995 in transferring his knowledge from American football to soccer.

According to The Athletic, this bid is no longer in the running for Chelsea ownership.

Conor McGregor

In bizarre fashion, Irish MMA legend Conor McGregor has hinted at the possibility of taking over at Chelsea on Twitter, posting an animated video of himself in the Chelsea board room and even on the training pitch with the caption "Push it to the limit! @ChelseaFC".

McGregor has also posted an apparent screengrab of a WhatsApp message on the social media platform, sending out clear intent to attempt to take over in West London, titled "I wish to explore this. @ChelseaFC".

The former UFC champion has an estimated net worth of around $188.4 million (£144.1 million), though would need serious financial backing for any potential bid to get off the ground. Chelsea fans may not be too keen on the 33-year-old being their next owner, however, as his allegiance lies with their Premier League rivals Manchester United.

When will the Chelsea buyer be announced?

According to reports, Raine Group — the New York-based investment bank handling the Chelsea sale — hopes to have a list of "preferred bidders" set by Tuesday, March 22.

That list should detail the bids that will progress to the next round of talks, while it also should serve to tell us which bids have been eliminated from contention.

According to a Goal.com report, while the inner workings of the bids and discussions surrounding them are not known, there "are feelings" that a United States-based bidder will win. Getting the most buzz of U.S. bidders seems to be the Todd Boehly bidding group, while the Ricketts family — Chicago Cubs owners — have also made a bid. The bid from Saudi Media has also been getting heavy attention in media reports.

Kyle Bonn

Kyle Bonn Photo

Kyle Bonn, is a Syracuse University broadcast journalism graduate with over a decade of experience covering soccer globally. Kyle specializes in soccer tactics and betting, with a degree in data analytics. Kyle also does TV broadcasts for Wake Forest soccer, and has had previous stops with NBC Soccer and IMG College. When not covering the game, he has long enjoyed loyalty to the New York Giants, Yankees, and Fulham. Kyle enjoys playing racquetball and video games when not watching or covering sports.

Sean Markus Clifford

George Priestman